1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disc drive arrangement for loading and/or unloading a magnetic disc on and from both surfaces of which an information is recorded and reproduced and which is retained in a disc cartridge.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In order to protect the recording and reproducing surfaces of a magnetic disc from being damaged and also in order to make the magnetic disc easy to handle, there is a known magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus onto which a disc retained in a disc cartridge is loaded and then an information is recorded on and reproduced from the disc. U.S. Pat. No. 4,504,879 (Toldi et al.) discloses such a conventional disc drive or loading arrangement and the technical outline thereof follows. According to this disc drive arrangement, a cartridge accommodating therein a magnetic disc is loaded onto the disc drive arrangement, and then the cartridge is horizontally moved above a drive spindle. Under this state, upper and lower magnetic heads are spaced apart in the up-and-down direction with a predetermined distance. As the cartridge is moved, the magnetic heads could be inserted into the cartridge through its window portions. During this operation, the outer peripheral portion of the magnetic disc is faced to the magnetic heads through the windows. When the cartridge arrives above the drive spindle, it is lowered and then the magnetic disc is chucked on the drive spindle. At this state, the lower surface of the magnetic disc contacts with the lower magnetic head. Then, the upper magnetic head is lowered to contact with the upper surface of the magnetic disc. Thus, the magnetic disc is brought to the state that recording and/or reproduction thereof is possible.
As described above, the prior art disc drive arrangement can load the disc while it is retained in the cartridge.
In the above example of the prior art disc drive arrangement, the magnetic disc retained in the cartridge is automatically chucked on the drive spindle and contacted with the magnetic heads at predetermined timings. This conventional disc drive arrangement, however, is not provided with means for releasing the urging of pushing means which urges the disc on one surface side of the cartridge to prevent the magnetic disc from being moved upon non-use. Therefore, the known disc drive arrangement cannot use the disc cartridge having such pushing means but can be applied only to a cartridge with a magnetic disc firmly retained to be rotatable, or pivoted, or pivoted thereto.